Stolen Heir is a dark, mafia-infused retelling of Beauty and the Beast that offers an intense and atmospheric reading experience. Sophie Lark crafts a gothic narrative where vengeance intertwines with forbidden attraction, set against the backdrop of Chicago's criminal underworld.

The story follows Mikolaj Wilk, a brooding figure seeking retribution for his father's murder by the Griffin family. His plan involves kidnapping Nessa Griffin, the youngest daughter, to use her as leverage. Nessa, a sheltered and talented ballerina, finds herself thrust into a world of danger and intrigue. As the story unfolds, the tension between captor and captive evolves into a complex and passionate relationship.

While the novel delivers on its promise of a dark romance, there are elements that may not resonate with all readers. The pacing can feel uneven at times, with certain developments occurring rapidly, which may affect the emotional depth of the characters' journey. Additionally, some readers might find the dynamics between Mikolaj and Nessa challenging, as their relationship develops under intense and morally ambiguous circumstances.

I liked this, it was easy to read and kept me engaged but I just don’t think that this series is right for me unfortunately.

I will no longer be reading these due to the fact that I do not agree with choices this author has made in a book she planned to publish where she was being racist. Thank you for your understanding in my decision.

Stolen Heir had an intriguing premise and a dark enemies to lovers dynamic, but it didn’t deliver. The pacing felt uneven, with most parts dragging while others were rushed. The romance leaned heavily on tropes without enough depth to make the characters feel genuine. While the writing was engaging, the plot lacked the tension and complexity I was hoping for. Fans of dark mafia romances might still enjoy it, but it wasn’t quite for me.

Will not be reviewing even this late. Sophie Lark is in my Do Not Read list at this point. The cover is pretty but it won't mask what's inside.

I think I've decided that this author is just not for me. I either end up DNFing or absolutely despising it.

I read this book recently and was waiting on writing my review. Unfortunately between then and now, I am no longer able to support this author. Their upcoming release has racist rhetoric and I am not comfortable continuing supporting them regardless of my feelings toward this book.

I really enjoyed this! maybe not quite as much as the first book but I absolutely tore through it. I found the romance a little rushed and hard to believe but I still really enjoyed it. I'm surprised that the spice was relatively minimal and tamer that one might expect from a dark mafia kidnapping romance. I'll definitely continue the series. 3.5

This was a great book! I at first wasn’t so sure about it but ended up really enjoying it. I ended up loving the take it took on beauty and the beast

This was one of my more favorite books in this series - it gave me serious Beauty & the Beast vibes and I was so HERE for it! I loved seeing the relationship between Miko and Nessa really grow and blossom, and watch Miko become so down bad for Nessa. Is this the best book ever written? No. Did I absolutely enjoy it? Yes. Would I re-read it? Maybe.

Definitely worth the read, especially if you're a fan of Beauty and the Beast!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Sophie Lark for giving me the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Beauty and the Beast is my absolute favorite fairytale so I've read a Lot of retellings. This one is in my top 5 favorites; half because it was very well written with great characters and half because I love ballet and you can never have too many stories about ballet. I highly recommend this book!

Actual Rating: 3.5⭐

Stolen Heir has a beauty and the beast vibes but darker and more ruthless set in modern time.

I love seeing some of the artwork insides that portrayed some of the scenes here, it’s very beautiful!
The pacing is a little bit slow at first to give room for the main characters to develop feelings towards one another.

I do enjoy seeing Nessa’ character grow from the spoiled and innocent little girl to a more daring and confident kind of girl after meeting Miko.
I like Nessa’s love for dancing, my favorite part is when Nessa and Miko dances together for the first time.

Overall, it’s pretty enjoyable to read if you can suspend disbelief while reading this and just go with the plot.
I would also highly suggest checking out the trigger warnings listed below because some parts may be sensitive to some readers.
Nevertheless, I’m excited to continue this series and read Nero’s story next!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: sexual content, kidnapping, confinement, violence, suicide, rape, sexual assault, stalking

okay as much as i love a little bit of mafia romance every now and then. this was hella weird, home girl right here got sketched out. i couldn't like either character because of how weak she was and how fragile he was. like sure, you're big boss dude, but in reality, you're basically just a little guy.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series, so I was really excited for book two. I have to say Ii really liked the FMC. I already liked her in book one, so I was excited to read her story. Overall, it did not disappoint. I liked the dynamic between her and the MMC and the way he changed throughout the book. There were a few parts that didn't resonate with me too much but I did enjoy it in general and would recommend reading it.

What a beautiful spicy romance story with great storyline and great characters. Really liked the writing style and the cover is beautiful will definitely read more from this author.

This book is just everything I love about dark romances without being too dark. 💞
Sophie Lark just writes the best morally gray book boyfriends.

Although do check the trigger warnings before reading it.

Sophie Lark has just been falling flat for me lately. I really wanted a mafia romance book that started off with a bang, and this wasn't it.

I actually liked this even better than the first book in this series. The characters were great and I liked the storyline a bit more in this one. Sophie Lark really knows how to suck you in.

I wasn't really sure what to expect with this book, but was very pleasantly surprised to find that I really, really liked it.

Are you trying to tell me that:

1. His sister get r worded by some mafia members, unalive herself so he then goes to kill those mafia members does so and then ends up joining them??? I mean this MMC just is stupid because who does that unless the end goal is to take the whole mafia down but no ... nothing to do with that (tbh that would have been more enjoyable to read).
2. She is the daughter of the Irish mafia and she has zero protection, like she is so easily stalked and taken and apparently it would be a big deal if she got taken that it will cause a mafia war but NOBODY thinks she needs protection?? What even is this book! And then some dude steals her routine and she cries about it, like babe your daddy is the mafia... he can sort that out.

Honestly again just really weird and unlikeable characters and for me I am not a smut person or atleast smut how it is written in this book.